Political Quotes

“this is a landmark Labor, Education, and Health appropriations bill. It is a landmark in more than one respect. From my perspective, however, it is especially notable for two features relating to our assistance to the education that is being provided to children all across the United States of America. The first is this bill, in reaction to the President's budget message of much earlier this year, ends any dispute about the generosity of support for education on the part of either the President or the congressional majority. In fact, this bill includes some $300 million more for education purposes than did the President's budget message earlier this year; $2 billion more than last year--$35 billion in total. Mr. President, $35 billion is not an inconsiderable sum. But of that portion that goes to our common schools from kindergarten through 12th grade, it still will represent only about 7 percent of the number of dollars that go into providing an education for future generations of Americans. But there is not a dispute in this bill over whether or not we should fund education with this relative degree of generosity. In that respect, this is a landmark bill. But as we deal with the question of education, I believe it to be a landmark in more than just that respect. This bill, in its present form, represents the first modest turn from a direction that we have taken for three decades or more.…”